Eclipsestar's Debut
by Sarah Petite
Summary: Eclipsestar, the leader of Shadowclan, has never had her story told. Now, for all of those who have hated her and everything she said, maybe you can have a bit of respect for the she-cat.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The new moon shone no light on the ShadowClan camp as the last patrol of the day returned from the forest. A chilled breeze ruffled the pelts of the three cats, as they came crossing the clearing to report to Beatenpath. He had yet to go to Mothermouth, but it was a new moon, and the moon had to be present to travel. The three cats stopped outside the leader's den, and one went inside, allowing the other two to leave. Once dismissed, the black warrior turned to go back to the warriors' den, and the brown pelted warrior followed behind him. Seizing the opportunity, a white she-cat intercepted the black tom at the head. Taken by surprise, he straightened up, raising his tail. The white she-cat's blue eyes gleamed in the low light as she greeted him, "Hello Wolfsong!"

The tom gave a small smile and returned the greeting, "Hello Icepool." He then turned to the brown warrior and nodded, "You can go ahead into the den. I'll be in to discuss the rogues with you in a moment."

The head of the brown tom nodded and turned around, heading back into the den. Icepool gazed up at Wolfsong and purred, "How did the patrol go? What's this I hear about rogues?"

Wolfsong shook his head, "Nothing I can't handle. It's just some rogues thinking they can set paw on our territory."

Icepool flicked her tail, "Oh come on, and I'm a warrior, too! What's going on?"

Yellow eyes turned on blue as Wolfsong spoke, "I told you, it's just a rogue problem. Don't worry about it."

The white she-cat was taken aback, but she just nodded and replied, "Okay… if you say so…"

Wolfsong dismissed her reaction with a flick of his tail, and then continued, "Besides, by the looks of it, they'd easily rip your throat out. Your skills don't match theirs entirely."

Icepool was stunned by the tom's words, and she flattened her ears to her head, "Who gave you crowfood this morning?"

"Well…" The black tom meowed, thinking, "You _were_ on the dawn patrol," he accused.

The white she-cat lashed her tail, "Cut it out, mousebrain! Freshly caught food isn't crowfood! You just have bad eyesight!"

The tom chucked, then purred at Icepool, "Oh? So is _that_ why I asked you to be my mate?"

Speechless, the white she-cat glared at Wolfsong. She groped for words, and then growled softly, "Must've been my mistake to agree…"

Wolfsong smirked and raised an eyebrow at his mate, "Oh? So that's where this conversation is going, isn't it?"

Icepool was silent for a moment, and then meowed with an edge to her voice, "No one's making you stay…"

The black tom's expression darkened in the already-black light, his yellow eyes burning in the freezing leaf-fall air, "Then I hope you're happy." And with that, he started to around to head back into the warriors' den.

The white she-cat sighed heavily, "Wolfsong…" She began as he was turning around, "I'm expecting your kits." She stated bluntly.

A look of surprise flashed across his face, but then he shook his head, "They're not my kits. Not anymore." And he turned his back rudely on Icepool, heading into the warriors' den.

Blue eyes fell to the floor as Icepool looked at her paws. She passed the warriors' den on her way to the nursery, and she heard a soft-spoken discussion about rogues crossing the border. She snarled silently to herself as she entered the nursery, and then collapsed to the floor. Flattening her ears, she curled up tight to try and get the best sleep she possibly could.


	2. Chapter One

Eclipsestar's Debut

Chapter One

Yellow eyes opened in the shelter of a dark, damp den. Wind howled outside, but the safety of the nursery kept the leaf-bare chills out. Beside her, Eclipsekit's littermates were huddled tight together in attempt to keep warm. Their mother, Icepool, had nestled them into the safety of her bright, white fur. Their nest, along with the rest of the nursery, was starting to get cramped because of how fast the four of them were all growing. Not to mention, Midnashadow's kits were nearly three moons already. The nursery was quiet with the sound of soft snoring, but not for long. Eclipsekit heard commotion outside, signaling the dawn patrol must be headed out. She parted her jaws in a huge yawn, her movement stirring one of her littermates beside her. A white she-kit raised her head and blinked open her blue eyes, an exact copy of her mother, "Eclipsekit? Why are you up so early?"

Eclipsekit shrugged slightly, the movement stirring the rest of her littermates. A sleek, black tom-kit looked up as well, followed by another striped, black and white tom-kit. The striped kit snorted, "Frozenkit, get your tail out of my face!"

Frozenkit bared his blunt, kit fangs at his brother, "Then move over, you big furball!" but then drew his tail around his paws and started washing. The commotion was enough to wake the other cats in the den, Icepool the first. She looked over her four kits and nodded, "Good morning to you all, my loves." She purred warmly in spite of the cold weather outside.

The white she-kit looked up at her mother, "Good Morning, Mama!" She chirruped happily. She nuzzled Icepool, blending their white fur together. Eclipsekit felt a pang of jealously that she didn't look like her mother. Whenever she had asked about their father, Icepool would just tell them a little bit and move on. Apparently she didn't like to talk about him. It probably had to do with the fact that he never came to visit. Eclipsekit wished she could see how much she looked like her father sometimes, because all she knew was that his name was Wolfsong and he was always busy with clan duties. Well… the latter she just assumed. Why else wouldn't her father want to see how much they were growing up?

_ But then again… he never watches us play fight or brings any of us fresh-kill… _Eclipsekit thought to herself. She shook her head to clear her head, but some of the doubt still lingered. She wished she could bust her head against the nursery wall to rid any negative thoughts she had.

_But that would probably make a hole in the den and get everybody sick from the cold… and it would hurt a lot…_

"Watch out!" A playful squeak interrupted her thoughts as Frozenkit launched himself over her at her brother, the two tumbling over on the nursery floor. Eclipsekit flattened herself to the floor, avoiding the fight, but ready to hit back if one of them hit her. Frozenkit was pinned by her brother, whose paws were crushed on his chest, "Cobrakit! Get off!" He choked out.

Cobrakit laughed happily, "I win! I win! Do I get the first bite of the fresh k-?"

"Cobrakit, he can't breathe!" Her white sister stood up abruptly and dashed over to the fight, then shoved Frozenkit off of him. The tom-kit let out an 'oof' as he hit the floor, then scrambled to his paws and fluffed out his fur. But realizing his mistake, his yellow eyes fell to the floor in embarrassment. Frozenkit got to his paws and huffed for air, "Thanks Palekit."

"No need to thank me, really, but I _did _just save your _life, _after all." She boasted.

Eclipsekit laughed softly along with Palekit. They were pretty close, even though they looked nothing alike. Cobrakit went over to Frozenkit and nudged his brother's shoulder with his nose, "Sorry about that." He apologized.

Frozenkit flicked his tail, dismissing it, "It's alright," he smiled, "but next time make sure I can breathe."

Eclipsekit watched the three of them play fight a little while longer, until a brown warrior with two white stripes down his back stepped into the den with two starlings hanging from his jaws. Midnashadow, who was watching her own two kits, stood up and touched noses to her mate, "Hey Badgertooth." She purred happily.

Badgertooth dropped the two starlings at her paws and swished his tail, "I brought a starling for you, and a starling for Icepool. I hope that's enough? The prey around this time is really scarce for any cat to eat."

Midnashadow nodded and turned to Icepool, "Should that be enough for you?"

Eclipsekit's mother nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Badgertooth. That's plenty enough for me."

The brown and white tom nodded and picked one of them up again, and brought it over to Icepool. She took it out of his jaws and laid it down in front of her, smoothing out its spotted feathers. Eclipsekit watched as Badgertooth touched noses to Midnashadow and his two kits, before turning and heading back out of the den into the slightly-snowy camp. She sighed, another pang of jealousy coursing through her. The brown tom-kit across the den boasted to Midnashadow, "He's the best father a kit could ever want!"

Midnashadow purred happily and nuzzled her kit's cheek, "I know, Thunderkit. I couldn't agree more."


	3. Chapter Two

Eclipsestar's Debut

Chapter Two

It was getting to be kind of late, and the first snowstorm of the season had brewed during the day. Now that the sun was going down, it was getting colder every heartbeat. A few cats were shivering in the nursery, including Icepool. Palekit looked up at her mother with a worried glance, "Mama? Are you okay?"

The she-cat's nose was buried deep into her white fur, and her ears were flattened. Her breath was shaky as she stammered out, "Y-yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Palekit." She reassured her daughter. Palekit didn't seem to care what her mother had said, because she called to the rest of her littermates, "Come on you lazy furballs! Let's help Mama warm up!"

Eclipsekit flattened her ears, not wanting to be bossed around. But clearly her mother was freezing, and they all needed to help her. She looked over at Cobrakit and Frozenkit, who shrugged and padded forward to snuggle next to their mother. Eclipsekit followed, looking for a spot that might be coldest. She pulled herself up onto her mother's back, letting herself go limp into her mother's cool fur. Suddenly she was pushed off, and she gave a squeal of surprise as she hit the cold floor instead of her mother's fur.

"What was that for!" She growled indignantly, standing up.

A bossy voice came from the other side of her mother's fur, "Mama doesn't need fat, heavy kits lying on her back!" It was Palekit. Her sister's head appeared around her mother's rump, "Actually be useful and help warm up her tail!"

Eclipsekit's jaw dropped enough that it could have hit the ground. Then she bared her teeth at her sister, "She could just as easily wrap her tail around herself and it would warm up by itself!"

A soft, shivering voice came from Icepool, "Eclipsekit, Palekit, stop it right now. Eclipsekit, go and sit down over by Midnashadow. There's no need for you to help me at the moment." Her meow was gentle, but there was an edge of annoyance to it that Eclipsekit detected. Flattening her ears and stomping away toward Midnashadow and her litter, she heard her two kits wrestling with each other. She sat down on her haunches, hunched over, mad that Icepool would side with her sister. Midnashadow looked down at her, a warm welcome lighting her yellow eyes. "What seems to be the problem, young one?" She asked.

"My sister's being unfair," She stated. She thought about what she had said, and then changed her mind, "No, she's just being bossy. She told me to help, but then she and Mama told me to get off."

The black and white she-cat nodded slowly, "I wish I could say I understand what it's like to have a sister… I never had one, you know… or any siblings, for that matter."

Eclipsekit turned her black head up to the she-cat and tilted it, "You didn't have any littermates? There weren't any at all?"

Midnashadow's whiskers twitched in amusement, "Well, if I _did _have any siblings, I wouldn't have known them. I was a rogue before I came to ShadowClan. I wasn't clan-born like you, your littermates, and your mother were." She explained.

_Lucky you…_ Eclipsekit nearly said out loud. She nodded in understanding and meowed, "So your name was Midna while you were a rogue? It doesn't really seem like a common name…" She trailed off, but then realized that must have sounded rude. She flattened her ears and blurted out, "Sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way…"

Midnashadow chuckled and shook her head, "No, that's alright. You have nothing to worry about. I was named Midna by my mother, whom I barely even remember. She left me on my own when I was about five moons old. That's only a moon older than Thunderkit and Rainkit." She gestured to her two kits, who were still entertaining themselves with their play fighting. She shrugged, "But I don't mind my name so much. I wasn't the best at naming, however, so I had Badgertooth name our kits. He was more experienced with the whole clan names idea."

A thought suddenly crossed Eclipsekit's mind. _Did my father name us all, too?_ This question she _had_ to know. "Do you know if my father named us, too?"

The she-cat looked down at Eclipsekit, her yellow eyes warm once again. Something about them, however, looked like they had another reason to be so caring, "Your mother gave _me _the honor of helping name you all. She didn't want your father's help in naming. I came up with your name, and I think it's beautiful." She bent down and nuzzled Eclipsekit's cheek, letting past a soft purr.

Eclipsekit nodded, relaxed by her purr. After a small pause, she thought about why Midnashadow had named them instead of Wolfsong. He _was_ their father, after all, but Midnashadow had admitted she wasn't that good at naming. Suddenly running over her name on her tongue, she looked up at Midnashadow again, "Does that mean my name isn't normal?" She demanded.

Her eyes must have betrayed her hurt, because Midnashadow sighed and licked her between her ears, "No, not at all, young one. Your name signals a phenomenon that happens once in a long period of seasons. The moon comes in front of the sun, and sends a shadow over every part of the forest within eyesight. Your name is a beauty of nature, Eclipsekit. Your father couldn't have named you anything more beautiful."

Believing her words, Eclipsekit sighed and looked down at her black paws. She murmured another question, "How come Wolfsong never visits any of us in the nursery?"

Midnashadow must not have heard her, because Thunderkit and Rainkit had come bounding over. Rainkit's happy mew chipped up, "Hey there Eclipsekit! Why the long face?" He asked, peering down at her.

Eclipsekit looked up at Rainkit, his blue eyes sparkling in spite of his dull, black fur. It wasn't sleek like hers, but they looked almost alike. Except Rainkit's muzzle had a white patch on it, too. She shook her head, "No reason. I just got kicked out of my nest, that's all." She meowed, a bit of an annoyed edge to her voice.

The black tom-kit frowned, "Aw, that's no good," but then shrugged and flicked his tail, "You could always join our nest for a little while?"

His brother butted him aside and purred teasingly, "No way! She's a she-kit! We can't play fight with her! She'll get hurt and then she'll start whimpering like a twoleg pet!"

Eclipsekit lashed her tail, "No I wouldn't! I'm strong enough to fight even you!"

Thunderkit's eyes lit up hopefully, "Oh are you? So you'll fight us, then?" He meowed, turning around and crouching down, lashing his tail in anticipation of her decision.

She stood up happily, finally being included into something exciting. She was going to be fighting someone older than her, who had actually had time to practice with the apprentices! She trotted forward to stand across from him, and then crouched down, keeping her kit-claws sheathed. Suddenly the brown kit rushed forward and batted her with a paw. She squeaked in surprise, but then dodged out of his vision, batting her paws at his feet. The impact made Thunderkit unsteady, and he flopped to the floor. She got up on top of him and pressed her weight onto his shoulders, attempting to pin him. He hauled himself up, making Eclipsekit fall off his back. The tom-kit turned around and put the both of his paws on her shoulders, pinning her down into the nursery floor. She struggled to get out, but the tom's weight was too much. She growled, the yellow tom's eyes burning down at her. But to her surprise, he was smiling. She tilted her head as Thunderkit got off of her, purring and swishing his tail happily. "You have a lot to learn." He teased.

Eclipsekit was taken aback. She had been suspecting a humiliating defeat and some snotty remark like something her sister would have said. But she nodded in acceptance, and turned to see Rainkit smiling at her, approval shining in his eyes. Suddenly she felt a surge of happiness as she felt included in something. She laughed and took a running leap at Rainkit, ready to tackle him, but as she landed on him, a sharp mew cut her off, "Eclipsekit! Cut that out right now! Get back here!"

Eclipsekit turned her head and saw Icepool staring with disapproval at her. She sighed and got off of Rainkit, muttered she was sorry, and padded back to her littermates. She cast a look over her shoulder, and saw that Thunderkit and Rainkit looked as disappointed as she felt. She sighed, but then felt a claw pierce her shoulder, stabbing her skin. She abruptly turned and saw Icepool standing with her claws unsheathed, staring down at Eclipsekit. She snarled indignantly up at her mother, "What was that for!"

Her mother's glare was persistent as she growled, "I told you to stay by Midnashadow, not to go playing with her kits. You disobeyed me, and because you did, you were punished."

Her tail lashed as Eclipsekit bared her teeth, "It's not my fault you don't care enough to even watch what I'm doing!" She was furious with her mother, but then Icepool's tail whipped the side of Eclipsekit's face. "I don't want to hear it, Eclipsekit. Go lie down in our own nest, and think about what you said."

Eclipsekit turned her back rudely on Icepool, stomping back to their nest, then flopping down and curling up in a tight ball. She didn't want to think about what she said, she wanted to be included. She looked up slightly from under her paws, and saw Cobrakit, Frozenkit, and Palekit all sitting together and talking in hushed whispers. When they caught Eclipsekit's stare, they all stopped talking and spread out. She growled and buried her muzzle in her fur again, but then to her surprise, a familiar scent came close to her, and she felt a tail brush over her pelt.

"Don't worry about it, Eclipsekit." It was Cobrakit, "Mama's probably just mad at the weather or something like the rest of us all are." He murmured softly.

Eclipsekit nodded slowly, but was suddenly grateful for his company. She snuggled close to her older littermate, who sighed and nuzzled her head. She wished she could just blow away in the snow outside the nursery. It didn't feel like home here. She wondered why Midnashadow could ever want to live in a clan like this. It was terrible.

_Well… no… not _everything_ is terrible… just my family._


End file.
